Water-wheel



. Patented lune l3, I899.

N. K. BOWMAN.

WATER WHEEL.

No. 627,044. Patented June [3, m9. N. K. BOWMAN.

WATER WHEEL. (A lication filed July 5, 1598.

3 Sheets-$heet 2.

(No Model.)

TNE-NORMS PETERS co.. PHOTO-UTHO wAsniNu'roN. n. c.

WATER WHEEL.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

NEWVTON K. BOWMAN, OF LAVFRENCE, OHIO.

WATER-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 627,044, dated June 13, 1899.

Application filed July 5, 1898. Serial No. 685,114. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, NEWTON K. BOWMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Lawrence, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVater-VVheels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in water-Wheels, and particularly to horizontal Wheels of the class known as turbines; and one object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of race and manner of mounting such wheels, whereby that portion only of the circumference of the wheel which is being directly acted on is submerged, while the re turning or inactive portion thereof is arranged exteriorly of the race and out of contact with the water, thereby avoiding back pressure and retardation and attaining the full impulse of the flowing water.

Further objects are to provide a wheel of this character in which the bucket-carrying arms are pivoted to swing in a vertical plane and mounted on wheels or rollers adapted to traverse a trackway arranged in a novel manner partially within and partially without the race, so that the temporarily inactive and returning buckets will be supported on a plane above the submerged buckets to relieve the arms of the latter of undue strain, to provide improved means for adjusting and bracing the arms, and to generally simplify and improve the construction and increase the efliciency of water-wheels of this type.

WVith the accomplishment of these ends in View the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, and specifically set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed and forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a top plan view of a race and water-wheel constructed in accordance with my invent-ion. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the race on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing the wheel and trackway in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section through the race and wheel on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isa cross sectional view through the horizontal portion of the track, showing in broken lines the position to which the roller is shifted to release the bucket. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the inclined ends of the track. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the buckets. Fig. '7 is an inner side View of same, showing the end wall thereof and the track in section. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of one of the braces. Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of the adjustable coupling of one of the wheelarms. Fig. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of same. Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing a modified construction; and Fig. 12 is a detail sectional view thereof.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like letters of reference designate correspondingparts throughout the several views, A and 13 represent the vertical, parallel, outer, and inner side walls of the race or water-channel, of which 0 is the head portion and D the tail portion, the said Walls being offset or deflected outwardly or in the same direction at the junction of said portions to form a segmentah'shaped box or housing E for the acting circumferential portion of the horizontal water-wheel F. This Wheel consists of a hub g, mounted on a vertical shaft G, arranged on the exterior of the race, adjacent to the segmental portion of the side Wall E thereof, and projecting outwardly from said hub are a series of equidistant radial arins II, which are connected thereto and constructed as follows: Each arm is formed of two sections-a bucketcarryingseotion 1; and a coupling-section j, said coupling-section being pivoted at its inner end between ears on the hub and, the wheel carrying section adj ustably connected thereto by setscrews or bolts 7t, whereby the arm may be lengthened or shortened, as desired, to compensate for wear or to release the bucket carried thereby from the track in the manner more fully set forth hereinafter. In order to prevent undue lateral and longitudinalshifting or play of the wheel-carrying section of the arm under strain, the coupling-section is preferably channeled or formed with side flanges land provided on its upper faceTwi'th corrugations or serrations adapted to engage with corresponding corrugations or serrations ferred form.

on the underside or face of the inner end of the bucket-carrying section, as clearly shown in Fig. 10.

Bolted or otherwise detachably secured to the outer end ofeach radial arm is a bucket M, which may be of the usual or any pre- The end wall at of said bucket is preferably, however, stepped to form recessed faces m m and mounted on a stud or bolt projecting from the intermediate face m is a wheel'or roller 11, which lies wholly within the plane of the upper wall portion m thereof. erse the bottom of the race when the bucket is in operation and fully submerged and to run along a nearly circular track 0 when the bucket is out of operation and is being elevated on its return from the tail portion to the head portion of the race, where it is to be again submerged. The track is mounted the housing E with the wall A at the head and tail portions of the race, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. In cross-section the track is ap proximately of L form inclined inwardly, the

vertical web thereof being provided with a flange 10, which is relatively narrower than the horizontal track or rail proper portion q,

and said rail portion with an inclined up-' By reference to Figs. 3 and 7 it will be seen that the re wardly-proj ectin g flange r.

cessed face an of the end wall of the bucket in traversing the track lies within the line of the said flange r and that the face on bears against the outer face of said flange;

also that the wheel or roller thereon has position immediately below the flange 19. By this construction and arrangement of parts all liability of the bucket being forced upward and the roller dislodged from the track by the upward pressure of the water in descending and ascending the inclined ends of the track is avoided, and at the same time provision is made whereby leakage of the water around the end of the submerged bucket 1 is reduced to the minimum. From the foregoing it will also be apparent that the parts may be adjusted to compensate for wear by means of the adjustable coupling of the radial arm, while the bucket may be readily and conveniently removed for repairs by simply disengaging the section 2' of the arm from its coupling-sectionj, pulling the bucket outwardly until its roller clears the flange p, and then lifting out said bucket. The flanges on the inclined ends of the track diminish in depth gradually to the extremities thereof in order that the bucket-rollers may run on and off the same with facility.

' In operation each bucket on the temporarily inactive or returning portion of the circumference of the wheel. is supported above the plane of the race until it reaches the in- This wheel or roller is adapted to travclined end 0 of the track, when it descends G submerged. The bucket-carrying arms are adapted to move freelyin a vertical plane to permit of this operation by reason of their pivotal connection with the hub g. It will thus be seen that as the buckets on the in-' active or returning portion of the wheel are not submerged, but are supported wholly out of the water, the full impulse of the flowing water is taken advantage of in the most effective manner, while the objections incident to the ordinary type of submerged wheel 1'. a, back pressure and the resistance opposed to the passage of the returning buckets through the waterare entirely avoided.

p The bucket-carrying sections of the radial arms are securely tied and braced against lateral strain by a continuous series of braces s, which respectively connect each adjoining pair of arms. Each brace consists of a sleeve or cylinder if, provided at one end with an arm a, pivoted to one of the radial arms, and a rod to, fitted to slide in the opposite end of the cylinder, said rod being pivoted at its outer end to the neXt adjoining radial arm and formed at its inner end with a head. A stiff tension-spring w inclosed in the cylinder bears against the head 12 and normally forces the rod inwardly. A simple and effective compensating bracing connection is thereby provided, which prevents undue lateral movement of the radial arms, while allowing said arms to have ample freedom of movement in a vertical plane to compensate for the ascension and descension of the buckets.

In the embodiment of my invention disclosed in Figs. 11 and 12 the construction of the wheel is modified by rigidly attaching the arms H to the hub and mounting the buckets M in a different manner. The track and race are, however, essentially the same in form and construction, the race being provided in its bottom with a groove 0 connecting theinclined ends 0 0 of the track. Each bucket is supported from its wheel-arm by hangers constructed in two sections jointed centrally, as at y, and pivote d at their inner ends 2 to the arm, so as to allow the bucket to movefreely in a vertical plane. The rollers n are also mounted u pon the front wall of the bucket-and run upon the trackway in advance thereof, and the wheel-arms are connected by rigid brace-rods s. In operation the buckets in moving through the segmental housing of the race exert a pull on the arms, and the wheel is thereby caused to revolve.

Although I have specifically described the construction and relative arrangement of the several-elements of my invention, I do not desire to be confined to the same,as such changes or modifications may be made as clearly fall within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus fullydescribed my invention,

what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1. In a turbine water-wheel, the combination of a race having vertical parallel walls deflected outwardly at the junction of the head and tail portions thereof to form a segmental box or housing, a Vertical shaft arranged exteriorly of the race adjacent to the deflected portion of its inner wall, a nearly circular horizontal track supported concentric with the shaft above the plane of the race and having inclined terminals leading down into said housing, and a wheel mounted on the shaft and provided with radial arms carrying buckets pivotally mounted to swing independently in a vertical plane and having rollers adapted to traverse said track, substantially as described.

2. In a turbine water-wheel, the combination of a race having vertical parallel walls deflected outwardly at the junction of the head and tail portions thereof to form a segmental box or housing, a vertical shaft arranged exteriorly of the race adjacent to the deflected portion of its inner wall, a wheel mounted on the shaft and provided with a series of radial arms pivoted to swing independently in a vertical plane, buckets carried by said arms and one of the buckets only'being normally submerged in the race, and means for elevating and supporting the buckets and arms on the exterior of the race, substantially as described.

3. In a turbine water-Wheel, the combination of a race provided with a segmental box or housing, a nearly circular track arranged exteriorly of the race and above the plane thereof and having its ends leading down into said housing, and a Wheel provided with a series of radial arms pivoted to swing independently in a vertical plane and each composed of two sections adjustably connected, and buckets mounted on the outer sections of the arms and carrying rollers adapted to traverse said track,substantiall y as described.

4. In a turbine water-Wheel, the combination with a race provided with a segmental box or housing, of a nearly circular track supported exteriorly of the race and having its ends leading down into said housing, and a wheel mounted exteriorly of the race and provided with a series of radial arms pivoted to swing independently in a vertical plane, a concentric series of braces each pivotally connected to two adjoining arms and adapted to oppose a resistance to the lateral movement of the arms while allowing them to have free vertical movement, and buckets mounted on the arms and carrying rollers adapted to traverse the track, substantially as described.

5. In a turbine water-wheel, the combination with a race provided with a segmental box or housing, of a vertical shaft arranged exteriorly thereof, a track supported concentric with the shaft and having its ends leading down into saidhousing, and a wheel mounted on the shaft and provided with a series of radial arms each composed of a pivoted coupling-section and a bucket-carrying section adj ustably connected therewith, a concentric series of compensating braces con necting the arms and each comprising a cylinder pivoted to one arm, a headed rod sliding therein and pivoted to the next adjoining arm, and a spring surrounding said rod and bearing against the head thereof to normally press the rod inwardly, and buckets mounted upon the outer ends of the said bucket-carryin g sections of the arms and carrying rollers to traverse the track, substantially as described.

6. In a turbine water-wheel, the combination with a race provided with a segmental Wheel box or housing, of a nearly circular track supported exteriorly of the housing above the race-and having its opposite ends leading down thereinto, and a wheel compris ing a hub, a series of radial arms pivoted thereto, each arm being formed of two sections united by an adjustable coupling, a series of yielding compensating braces pivoted to the outer sections of thearms, and each having a movable member held under springtension, and buckets mounted on the arms and carrying rollers adapted to traverse the track, substantially as described.

7. In a turbine water-wheel, the combination of a race having vertical parallel walls deflected outwardly to form a segmental wheel box or housing, a vertical shaft arranged exteriorly of the race adjacent to the deflected portion of its inner wall, a nearly circular inwardly inclined track approximately L shaped in cross-section and supported concentric with the shaft above the plane of the race and having its ends leading down into said housing, the vertical web of said track being provided with a relatively narrow horizontal flange and the track proper with a vertical flangeat the inner edge thereof, a wheel mounted on the shaft and provided with a series of pivotedradial arms adjustable as to length, and buckets carried by said arms, each bucket having its outer end wall 0% stepped to form recessed faces an m and a roller carried by the said face 'm to traverse the track, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NEWTON K. BOWMAN.

tVitnesses:

ALICE PoLLocK, JOHN PoLLooK. 

